Sippin’ on Summertime: Creative Drinks for Hot Weather

Stay hydrated with these drinks.

There’s nothing like the first sip from a sweating glass of ice-cold refreshment during a hot, Texas summer. Instead of sodas and other super-sugary drinks, quench your thirst with something pure. Infusing teas and fruits with perfectly purified water can create drinks with the fruity and refreshing summer flavors you crave. In the spirit of health and hydration, we’d love to share a few of our favorite summer drinks here at Kinetico San Antonio that the whole family can enjoy.

Rinse and slice the pineapple and strawberries. (Save a few pineapple slices for garnishing.)

Decoratively layer ice and fruit in a glass pitcher.

Fill glass pitcher with purified water

Refrigerate for 20 minutes to allow the fruit to infuse

Serve in individual glasses garnished with a slice of pineapple.

Strawberry Hibiscus Tea Lemonade What’s more delicious and refreshing than lemonade? Add a few juicy strawberries! What’s more wonderfully quenching than strawberry lemonade? Add hibiscus tea! The end result is a fantastically floral twist on an Arnold Palmer that I dare you to not enjoy. This recipe requires a little more know-how, but is worth every drop.

Ingredients

6 cups purified water

6 hibiscus tea bags

2 lbs. of strawberries, hulled and halved

1 glass pitcher

1 heatproof bowl

1 sieve

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 3 lemons)

1/4 cup simple syrup

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

Bring to boil in saucepan until sugar is dissolved.

Directions

Bring purified water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Once hot, remove from heat.

Add tea bags, and steep for 30 minutes.

Discard tea bags and pour tea into a pitcher. Let cool completely.

Combine strawberries and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Set the heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Heat for about 25 minutes or until strawberries release their juices.

Strain through a sieve into the pitcher. (Stir, DON’T press strawberries, or juice will appear cloudy.)

Add lemon juice and simple syrup to the pitcher and stir.

Serve over ice in individual glasses

Those are our two favorite summer sips for both newbies and practiced infusers. Remember to stay hydrated this summer. For a steady supply of purified water, consider installing a quality water purification system in your home.